7 tips on being safe while walking to school

The first and most obvious is being distracted. According to Safe Kids Worldwide, one in four high school students cross the street while distracted.

"Texting and walking, if they are Snapchatting back and forth, if they are not paying attention, it's always that risk of them just walking out in the middle of the street and not realizing they did it and getting hit," says Triena Larsen, Safe Kids Adams County Coordinator.

Second, kids are not crossing where they should.

"Darting out in the middle of an intersection in traffic is not a safe thing to do so use the crosswalk and obey the walk and don't walk signs," says Officer Kelly Vandermaiden with the Quincy Police Department.

Number three, keeping an eye out for careless drivers.

Fourth is where they walk. Sidewalks reduce crashes by almost 90 percent.

Number five, 75-percent of teen deaths happen between 7 PM and 7 AM, when it's dark.

"Don't wear dark clothing, if you don't have something reflective wearing a bright color or a while shirt will help you be seen," says Vandermaiden.

Number six, they do not look for cars backing up.

"Being alert to vehicles backing up whether it be out of a parking stall or if they're passing by on the sidewalk and a car is backing out of a driveway. Just being alert to that and knowing that the driver might not have seen them," Vandermaiden says.

Lastly, number seven is not knowing the route. If your kid walks to school it's a good idea to take a day to walk the route with them. That way you both know the possible dangers along the way.